Madagascar

Located in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is the world’s fourth-largest island. Despite its considerable natural resources, the country faces persistently high poverty rates, with over 80 percent of its population living on less than US$2.15 a day. Chronic malnutrition affects nearly 40 percent of children. 

Food insecurity is driven by multiple factors, including limited crop diversification, dependence on rain-fed agriculture, low incomes and rising food prices. Climate shocks are increasing in severity and frequency, causing damage to agriculture, infrastructure, biodiversity and coastal resources, and leading to the loss of lives and livelihoods.  

Southern Madagascar is regularly affected by drought, while the southeastern regions are prone to recurrent cyclones and flooding. At least 1.7 million people in these regions – over one in six Malagasy – are currently facing severe food insecurity.   

An estimated 558,000 children aged under 5 are either currently suffering, or at risk of suffering, acute malnutrition. 

The World Food Programme strikes a balance between emergency response and longer-term investments in resilience-building, emergency preparedness and social protection. WFP strives to reduce long-term dependence on humanitarian assistance, instead emphasizing national capacity-building, in close coordination with national and local partners.